TANTRE FARM CSA NEWSLETTER
Thanksgiving Share
Nov. 19, 2016
If needed, please contact Richard Andres & Deb Lentz at 2510 Hayes Rd. Chelsea, MI 48118 e-mail: tantrefarm@hotmail.com phone: 734-475-4323 website: www.tantrefarm.com.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!
It is the end of one season and the time for transitioning into the start of another. The end of the fall harvest finds us with a barn full of squash, garlic, and onions and a root cellar full of cabbages, potatoes and other roots ready to eat for the next several months. It is so important to rejoice in the abundance of this harvest! We are full with so many fine meals with friends to share the work and harvest. This Thanksgiving Share is a sampling of this year’s fall harvest and a testament to this year’s hardworking hands. Please bring bags or your own containers if you don’t want to take our boxes home or have to return them. We hope you enjoy this most abundant Thanksgiving Distribution.
Please feel free to give us a call or e-mail throughout the late fall and early winter, if you are interested in more greens, squash, potatoes, radishes, turnips, spinach, onions, garlic, etc. and are willing to pick up your order at the farm. After the Thanksgiving Distribution we are planning on being at the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market on the following Wednesday, Nov. 23, for any last minute Thanksgiving purchases, but NOT on Sat. Nov. 26. We are hoping to continue coming to the Ann Arbor market on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout December and then only Saturdays for January through April. If you have “liked” us on Tantre Farm’s Facebook page, you will know when we are coming and what we are bringing, since we try to keep you updated. We also may attend a new Winter Farmers Market in Chelsea on Nov. 26 and into the following 2 Saturdays of December, but please pay attention to our Facebook page to find out. The People’s Food Coop and Argus Farm Stop of AA also carry many of our vegetables throughout the fall and winter.
If you are interested in our December Solstice CSA or Summer CSA shares for 2017, see our website for more details. Online registration will open soon. Also, we will be sending you a separate email as well to let you know when sign up is ready.
Most of the following items can be stored for long-term (especially the root vegetables) or preserved very simply, so please note storage or simple cooking tips listed below, in the ASPARAGUS TO ZUCCHINI cookbook (p. 191), or on our website. **Also, if you’re having trouble identifying any unfamiliar produce, please look for “Veggie ID” with additional information on our website under CSA INFO or under RECIPES.
Thanks for buying locally and seasonally. We wish you a safe, healthy, and enjoyable Thanksgiving!
–Deb, Richard & the 2016 Tantre Farm Crew
WHAT’S PART OF YOUR SHARE
ARUGULA: an aromatic, bright green, salad green with a peppery mustard flavor; rich in iron and vitamins A and C
-How to use: add to salads, soups, and sautéed vegetable dishes
-How to store: very perishable, so use up quickly; store in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
TARBAIS BEANS: (also called “haricot tarbais”) You will receive these in brown pods, which have plump, snowy-white seeds, which are a traditional white cassoulet bean in France with a thin skin and subtle flavor, so incredibly tender; can be saved as seeds to be planted in the spring
-How to use: good in soups, bean dips, cassoulet, etc.
-How to store: store dried tarbais beans in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place. Can be kept in paper bag in pods, until shelled.
BEETS: You will receive a bag of topless Red Ace baby beets (round, smooth, deep red roots with sweet flavor when eaten raw or cooked).
-How to use: roots good in juices, soups, stews, roasted, boiled,
steamed, excellent grated raw into salads or baked goods.
-How to store: store unwashed in plastic bags in hydrator drawer of refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: You will receive a stalk of tiny, green cabbage-like sprouts with mildly pungent, mustard-like flavor. These sprouts are very easy to break off and seem to store better while still on the stalk until ready for use.
-How to use: Boil or steam for 5-10 minutes without overcooking, so they are still bright green; toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, or a pat of butter; excellent roasted or stir-fried.
-How to store: Refrigerate for up to a week or more unwashed in a plastic bag in hydrator drawer.
-How to freeze: Blanch for 3-4 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, and store in air-tight bags or container.
CABBAGE (Kaitlin): large, late-season cabbage that is excellent for kraut with a very white, rather than green, interior after storage; should store well until December or January.
-How to use: steamed, stir-fried, chopped into salads or coleslaw.
-How to store: You will receive this unpeeled and unwashed, so that it will store better, so the leaves may look a little dirty or brown. It is best to store cabbage with its protective outer leaves until ready to use, so that it will last in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. When ready to eat, just peel off a few layers until you get to the crispy, clean leaves that will make it ready for eating.
CARROTS (Orange, Red, and Purple): You will receive a mixed rainbow bag of these topless, frost-sweetened carrots with an orange variety called Bolero (orange, tender, excellent long-term, storage carrots with medium-long, thick, blunt roots), Nutri-Red (unique, coral-red roots, best cooked to deepen the color and improve the texture; excellent carrot flavor for stews and vegetable dishes), a beautiful purple variety of either Deep Purple (deep purple roots; excellent grated raw or cooked; taste very similar to their orange cousins and should be embraced for their nutritional powerhouse benefits such as extra antioxidants, which help prevent blood clotting and heart diseases; anti-inflammatory as well as anti-bacterial properties) or Purple Haze (bright purplish-red roots with bright orange interior and a sweet flavor; cooking will cause the color to fade).
-How to use: Can be used raw as carrot sticks, grated in salads or juiced; steamed or sautéed, in stews, soups, casseroles, stir-fries
-How to store: Refrigerate dry and unwashed roots in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; stores best in near freezing conditions around 32 degrees and 95% humidity; greens may last up to a week refrigerated in plastic bag
CAULIFLOWER: You will receive either Romanesco (lime green, spiraled heads with pointed, spiraled pinnacles; crisp and mild) or Amazing (medium-sized, white heads with domed, solid curds).
-How to use: Raw for salads and dips, steamed, sautéed, or roasted.
-How to store: Sweetest and best when used within a week when stored in the refrigerator, but can last up to 2 weeks.
-How to freeze: Blanch 2-4 minutes, rinse under cold water, drain and dry, pack into freezer bags.
CELERY: tall, crisp, glossy green stalks and leaves with a strong, celery flavor; contains vitamins A, C, B-complex, and E with some other minerals; also high in fiber and sodium; *Organic celery tends to be a darker green, since it’s unblanched like commercial celery. The darker green color indicates more minerals and vitamins, but also is a bit stronger, so you may want to use a little less than you normally would.
-How to use: typically eaten raw and used in salads; ribs and leaves can be added to casseroles, soups, stews, and stir-fries.
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for up to 2 weeks; can be frozen in slices on a cookie sheet and then packed into freezer bags; celery leaves can be dehydrated and added to soups or stews.
GARLIC: You will receive about 10 to 12 bulbs of German White (a bulb of several papery white cloves; believed to help in fighting infections, cancer prevention, and bolstering the immune system).
-How to use: Excellent in all cooking; make garlic butter with 1/2 cup of softened butter mashed with four minced cloves of garlic
-How to store: store for several months in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place; if cloves begin to get soft or moldy, break off bad part, chop, and pack into small jar filled with olive oil, then refrigerate (great gift idea!).
FRESH HERBS: Everyone will choose between 1 bunch of Curly Parsley (curly, dark green leaves, often used as a garnish, but can be used the same as flat-leaf parsley) or Sage (an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family with long, narrow, grayish-green leaves; a musky aroma and a warm and spicy taste; wonderful flavor enhancement for seafood, vegetables, stuffing, and savory breads. Rub sage, cracked pepper, and garlic into pork tenderloin or chops before cooking).
-How to store: Place in plastic bag and store in refrigerator up to a week or put herb bunch in jar with 2 inches of water, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
KALE: You will receive Red Russian Kale (the stems are purple, and leaves are deep gray-green, purple-veined, flat, non-curled, and tooth-edged) and Siberian Kale (tender blue green, curly leaves, with a mildly sweet flavor).
-How to use: Boil for 2-3 minutes or steam for 3-5 minutes, until color brightens (Colors will darken or fade if overcooked, and then can be mushy, tasteless, and less nutritious), and then toss with red wine vinegar/olive oil/salt/pepper, or sesame oil/rice vinegar/soy sauce, or lemon vinaigrette, or just butter and salt; mix greens (most are interchangeable in recipes) into omelets, quiches, lasagna, casseroles, soups, stews, and gravies.
-How to store: Refrigerate unwashed in plastic bag for to 2 weeks.
-How to freeze: Blanch washed greens for 1-2 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, and pack into air-tight containers, or just destem, chop, and freeze in bags.
BABY LETTUCE MIX (Wildfire): a beautiful bag of dark reds and vibrant greens including Green and Red Oakleaf, Green and Red Romaine, and Redleaf lettuces. Your lettuce has been rinsed once, but needs washing.
-How to use: raw in salads, sandwiches, or use in soups
-How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag for 3-5 days.
RED ONIONS (optional): The onions have not stored very well this year, so they may have some soft, brown segments in the center. Just pop that segment out, rinse it, and cut up the rest of the onion to use immediately or freeze in freezer bags. Onions will be optional for those, who don’t mind the extra work of cutting out the bad parts. This is Red Hawk (medium to large, uniform, deep red bulbs).
-How to use: good in French onion soup, great for salads, soups, sandwiches, slices, grilled.
-How to store: can last for 10 to 12 months if kept in a cold, dark place, but remove any ones starting to go soft from the others. **Easy to freeze in freezer bags: Just remove any bad parts, chop or mince and store in freezer bags. It’s ready to go for any soup, stew, stir fry, etc.
POTATOES: Everyone will receive a mixed bag of several varieties of potatoes including Mountain Rose (rosy-skinned inside and out, these versatile, all-purpose spuds are deliciously moist, but not waxy textured. Extra nutritious, and high in antioxidants. Excellent baked, mashed or fried), Yukon Gold (yellowish brown skin with yellow dry flesh and pink eyes; long storage and good tasting; perfect baked, boiled, mashed or fried), French Red Fingerling (dark rose-red skin and yellow flesh; creamy taste and firm texture, excellent roasted or boiled), and Russian Banana Fingerling (an heirloom potato with small, banana-shaped tubers with yellow skin and light yellow flesh; used by chefs for its delicious flavor and smooth “waxy” texture that doesn’t fall apart when cooked; good baked, boiled, or in salads).
-How to store: keep unwashed in cool, dark place in paper bag; ideal temperature is 40-50 degrees with high humidity (80-90%). A basement or very cool closet will work. If too warm or stored with onions or apples, they will shrivel and sprout; light turns them green; don’t refrigerate, since the starches turn to sugars.
PIE PUMPKIN (Baby Bear): bright orange skin with dry, sweet flesh
-How to use: excellent for pies (For other ideas see winter squash)
-How to store: store whole pumpkins at room temperature up to a month or for 2 to 3 months in moderately cool conditions (45-60 degrees with 60-75% humidity).
-How to freeze: Bake pumpkin until fork tender at 350 degrees, purée and put cooked pulp in freezer bags.
DAIKON RADISH: You will receive K-N Bravo (looks like an overgrown carrot with internal color ranging from pale purple to white with purple streaks; good, sweet, eating quality) and White Daikon: looks like an overgrown white carrot, but blunt-tipped on end, with a lightly mild, radish taste.
-How to use: excellent julienned, sliced, used in a salad or tossed with your favorite vinaigrette; good eaten fresh, cooked, or pickled
-How to store: not as hardy as you may think, so store wrapped in plastic to keep them crisp for up to 2 weeks
RADISHES: You will receive Easter Egg Radish (a beautiful mix of red, purple, pink, and white round radishes; crisp and mild flavor).
How to use: raw, roasted, used in soups, sliced in salads, sandwiches, or stir-fries, grated in slaws; Radish greens (excellent source of vitamins A, C, and the B’s) delicious in soups or stir-fries.
How to store: refrigerate in plastic bag/damp towel for 1-2 weeks.
WATERMELON RADISH: an heirloom Chinese variety; large, 2-4”, round radishes with unique dark magenta flesh and light green/white skin along with a sweet, delicious taste.
-How to use: soups, stews, steamed, roasted, eaten raw in salads, pickled, excellent julienned and tossed with favorite dressing.
-How to store: Store dry and unwashed in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; can last for 2-4 months if stored in cold, moist conditions like beets.
SAUERKRAUT: We are pleased to offer 2 jars of the Brinery’s Sauerkraut. Ingredients may include green cabbage, kale, onions, and sea salt. The Brinery is a local foods business, specializing in naturally fermented local vegetables and operated by long time Tantré farmer, David Klingenberger. For more information, please visit www.thebrinery.com.
-How to use: use as a condiment with any dish, especially meat dishes, salads, roasted veggies, or sandwiches.
*Recipe 1: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Turkey-with-Sauerkraut-Riesling-and-Pork-Sausages
**Recipe 2: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016892-sauerkraut-and-apples
-How to store: Must be REFRIGERATED up to 3 months or longer depending on how you like the flavor, since it will get stronger with more age. This jar is not canned, so store in refrigerator.
WHITE HAKUREI TURNIPS and GREENS: A white salad turnip with round, smooth roots that have a sweet, fruity flavor with a crisp, tender texture. Both roots (good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium; good in salads and soups) and greens (slightly sweet and can be boiled, steamed, sautéed, stir-fried, and since hairless, are good in salads; excellent source of vitamins A & C and good source of riboflavin, calcium and iron) are edible!
-How to use: good in salads and soups, roasted, steamed, sautéed,
-How to store: remove greens from turnip root and store separately in plastic bag in refrigerator for up to 3 days; roots can last for 4-5 months, if stored like beets, preferring cold and moist conditions.
WINTER SQUASH: It’s been a great squash year, so you’ve got some colorful, fall decorations for Thanksgiving or some delicious sources of flavor and nutrition coming your way! You will receive several of the following varieties:
*Acorn (small, green ribbed squash with pale yellow flesh)
*Buttercup Kabocha (green, blocky, with a gray “button” on the blossom end; thick, dry, deep orange flesh; medium-dry and sweet; very dry at harvest, sweeter after a few weeks; dry storage)
*Black Forest Kabocha (smaller size kabocha; dark green, flat-round fruits; buttercup size with no button on end; orange flesh is medium-dry & sweet)
*Butternut (light, tan-colored skin; small seed cavities with thick, cylindrical necks; bright orange, moist, sweet flesh; longest storage potential of all squash)
*Sweet Dumpling (small 4-inch diameter, coloring is like the “Delicata”, but round, flat-topped shape; makes a great bowl for stuffing with rice, breading, or soups)
*Sunshine Kabocha (red-orange, flat-round fruit with dry, sweet, bright orange flesh; excellent for baking, mashing, pies, and cheesecake!)
*Carnival (a multicolor Sweet Dumpling with colorful patches and flecks of dark and light green, orange, and yellow; sweet flesh and edible skin)
*Jester Acorn (about the size of Carnival squash, but with better eating quality; an oval, ivory-colored squash with green striping between the ribs that is tapered on both ends with small to average ribs)
*Hooligan (mini pumpkins with white, green, and orange mottled skin color with smooth, orange flesh; sweet and slightly nutty flavor; perfect for cute, little soup bowls and stuffing)
-How to use: Slice in half, scoop seeds out and bake with a little water in baking pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender; boil or steam chunks for 15-20 minutes, or until tender (peel skins off “before” or “after“ cooked, but “after” is easiest when it’s cooled); mash cooked squash with butter; purée cooked squash for creamy soup, or add uncooked chunks to soups or stews; add small amounts to yeast breads, muffins, cookies, pies, oatmeal.
-How to store: Keep for several months (depending on the variety) at 45-60 degrees with 60-75% humidity; will also store at room temperature. **Here is a great link, which offers good advice for storing winter squash: https://bonnieplants.com/library/how-to-store-winter-squash/
RECIPES
**Keep in mind a very easy way to find recipe ideas for almost any combination of share box ingredients is to type the items into your preferred “search bar” with the word “recipe” after it.
TANTRÉ FARM SLAW (A simple, easy salad!) Serves 4.
4 baby or 2 medium beets, grated
3 large carrots, grated
1 watermelon radish, grated
1 Daikon radish, grated (if you like a little mild spice)
sesame or sunflower seeds, toasted
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Grate vegetables into a bowl. Chop onion, if desired, and add to bowl. Toast sesame or sunflower seeds. Add when cooled. Add olive oil and lemon juice as a salad dressing to suit your taste. Be careful of too much liquid. The tartness of the lemon should be prominent. Serve immediately or marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator. Variations: Add grated turnips, lettuce. parsley, etc.
TANTRE FARM OVEN-ROASTED HARVEST VEGETABLES
**Keep in mind, any combination of the following root vegetables will work. Roasted veggies are standard at many Tantre Farm meals. Yummy!
1 c. Brussels sprouts, cut in halves
1 c. carrots, quartered or chunks
1/2 lb. unpeeled multi-colored potatoes, cut into chunks if large
1 watermelon or daikon radish, julienned
3-4 onions, sliced
4 or 5 baby beets, halved or whole
1 c. turnips, cut into chunks
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. winter squash, cut into chunks
3-4 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine any combination of vegetables above in large bowl, except parsley. Drizzle oil over. Sprinkle with garlic, herbs, salt and pepper; toss gently to coat. Bake for 30 minutes in 1 or 2 roasting pans or until vegetables are beginning to slightly brown. Turn the vegetables 2 or 3 times during cooking to prevent burning. Then increase heat to 425° and add chopped parsley (or may be added as a fresh garnish at the very end), toss vegetables, and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Makes 6-8 servings.
HARICOTS TARBAIS (from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/do-you-know-bea-1/) 4 Servings
8 ounces Haricots Tarbais beans (soaked overnight)
6 cups water
*Plus any of the following:
1 bay leaf
a few branches fresh thyme or savory (or a pinch of dried)
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic peeled
1-2 whole cloves
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1-2 pieces of thick-cut bacon, diced in big pieces
(or add a big ‘ol ham bone if you’ve got one)
Put the beans in a big pot with the water, and other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook partially-covered for about 1 hour, or up to 2 hours, until the beans are tender. Add salt to taste during the last 30 minutes of cooking. If using a ham bone, as I did, pull any bits of meat off the bone and add them to the beans. The beans will turn a darker shade as they’re cooked, as mine did. Serve warm, drained of most of their liquid (which makes a nice base for soup), alongside braised or roasted meats, or poultry.
WINTER VEGETABLE CHOWDER (from 366 Simply Delicious Dairy Free Recipes by Robin Robertson) Serves 6.
1 tsp. canola oil
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
½ cup turnip, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (optional)
1 cup winter squash, peeled and chopped
½ cup sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable stock or water
½ tsp. minced fresh thyme, or 2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 cups kale (arugula, turnip greens, cabbage)
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook onions, celery, turnip, and carrot for 5 minutes. Add sweet potato, squash, bell pepper, garlic, stock or water, and herbs. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Boil greens in lightly salted water for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Purée soup in a blender (or use a stick blender in saucepan) until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in the soymilk, cooked greens, and salt and pepper to taste. Slowly heat the soup, being very careful not to boil. Serve.
MARTHA STEWART’S PUMPKIN SOUP IN A PUMPKIN (from www.recipezaar.com) Serves 6.
6 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups pared pumpkin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh sage
5 peppercorns
1 medium pie pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh, parsley
In a covered saucepan, heat the stock, cubed pumpkin, onion, garlic, salt, thyme, and peppercorns to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the pumpkin with a slotted spoon; reserve. Simmer remaining pumpkin mixture, uncovered, 20 minutes longer; transfer to a large bowl. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Cut the top off the sugar pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes; set aside in a warm spot. Puree 2 cups of the pumpkin mixture in a blender or food processor; return pureed mixture to the pot. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture. Heat pureed mixture to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir warm cream and reserved pumpkin into soup. Place the warmed sugar pumpkin on a platter; ladle the soup in and garnish with parsley. Serve hot.
DAIKON IN PLUM SAUCE (from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables by John Peterson) Serves 3 to 4.
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons plum sauce
1 tablespoon minced scallion (or onion)
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 daikon radish, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips (could add watermelon radish as well)
2 tablespoons water
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until cornstarch dissolves. Stir in the plum sauce and scallions. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Swirl the oil around the wok so that it covers the cooking area, then add the daikon; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the water; cover. Cook until the daikon is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
GERMAN SWEET AND SOUR CABBAGE
1 head cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup vinegar
1-cup onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 apple, chopped
3 Tbsp. sugar
salt
Salt the shredded cabbage and let sit for a half hour. Add remaining ingredients and simmer covered for one hour until cabbage is tender. Serve.
MAPLE SAGE DRESSING
2 large shallots or 1 small onion
6 cloves garlic
4 T. chopped, fresh sage
1 oz. lemon juice
3 oz. red wine vinegar
3 oz. maple syrup
1 sprig rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients together. Drizzle in 2 cups of oil and +/- 3 oz. of water to adjust consistency.
GREEN KALE SMOOTHIES
**Additional note: You can always interchange the greens to whatever is on hand. Also, you can interchange water for fruit juice. Also, pitted dates add sweetness.
2 apples or pears
5 leaves of kale
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 bunch of parsley
2 cups water
Blend well. Makes about 1 quart.
COOL & CRUNCHY RADISH AND TURNIP SALAD (from “Eggs on Sunday”) Serves 2.
8-12 small radishes, thinly sliced
3 small salad turnips, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
coarse kosher or sea salt, to taste
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and stir gently, but thoroughly to combine and coat all the slices. Taste and season with salt (you’ll need salt — start with a little pinch and gradually add it until the flavors “pop” as much as you like.)